Founder & CEO
Carl Downs
Carl Downs is a British born, multi-award winning serial Entrepreneur.
With over 35 years of entrepreneurial experience, Carl has built a reputation as a visionary and innovator. From pioneering software solutions in the insurance claim validation sector in the early 2000's to establishing the worlds largest training brokerage service, Carl’s career is marked by ambition, perseverance and pure tenacity.
Currently, he is at the forefront of leading Training Management System Genius.
Carl demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit from a remarkably young age. At just 10 years old, he was charging school friends £1 for shaving tram lines into their hair, and by the age of 11 he was already buying, renovating, and selling motocross bikes for profit. In his late teens, this naturally progressed into buying and selling cars, as Carl continually looked for new business opportunities.
We are honoured to be recognised with the following awards.
Between the ages of 16 and 19, Carl held more than 20 different jobs, but quickly realised that traditional employment was not where he belonged..
“I could never find anything that truly held my interest. I always had this feeling that I wasn’t meant to follow a conventional path. At the time I couldn’t fully explain it, but deep down I knew I needed to build something of my own.”
At 19, Carl became the manager of a mobile phone shop in the UK before moving into car sales for a main dealership. That role would prove to be his final job, lasting just one month.
“I wanted the freedom to go it alone. I thrived on risk and reward, and at 19 I felt I had nothing to lose. So I left my job and started buying and selling cars for myself.”
Fast forward nearly 35 years, and Carl has founded and successfully operated businesses across a wide range of industries, including the motor trade, jewelry, property, web design, software, insurance, and hospitality.
Among his ventures, Carl owned a popular nightclub in his hometown of Doncaster, which hosted a variety of well-known artists and performers. During this time, he also secured an exclusive agreement with TV personality Simon Cowell to feature finalists from The X Factor at the venue.
In recognition of his achievements and contribution to local employment, Carl was nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 by the British Chambers of Commerce for his work within the nightclub business, where he employed more than 30 local staff. Although he finished as second place (runner-up), it remains a story Carl tells with humor, losing out to a man designing websites from his bedroom.
Multiple Award Winners
Carl openly acknowledges that his entrepreneurial journey has included significant challenges.
Reflecting on his experiences, he emphasizes that setbacks have provided the most valuable lessons, stating:
"I have learned more from mistakes and loss than from success."
The global financial crash of 2008 was particularly tough, leading to substantial personal and professional losses, including his home and first marriage. Despite these hardships, Carl demonstrated remarkable resilience and tenacity by founding the worlds largest training brokerage service just two years later.
Carl’s tenacity and unwavering “never quit” attitude are qualities he attributes to more than 35 years of studying martial arts. His journey began at the age of 18 with Tae kwon do, where he progressed through the ranks to achieve his Second Degree Black Belt.
Driven by a passion not only for the sport but also for mentoring others, Carl went on to establish his own Tae kwon do classes for children. Through his teaching, he focused on instilling the core values of martial arts, discipline, confidence, respect, and resilience.
Over the years, Carl personally guided several students from complete beginners through to earning their Black Belts, an achievement he describes as one of the proudest moments of his life.
“To see all of that hard work, commitment, and dedication finally pay off is a feeling like no other,” Carl says proudly.
Following his success in Tae kwon do, Carl expanded his training into American Kickboxing, which he continues to practise to this day. He is currently a Brown Belt Black Stripe, just one grade below Black Belt, as he works towards earning his second martial arts Black Belt.
Carl is a self-taught full stack software developer with a deep passion for technology and problem solving.
“I’ve always been obsessed with learning and understanding how things work, so in my twenties I decided to teach myself software development,” Carl explains.
What began as a personal interest quickly developed into a highly valuable skill set, eventually leading Carl to create Genius in 2015. The platform required more than two years of design, development, and refinement before it was ready to welcome its first paying clients.
Today, as Founder, CEO, and Lead Developer of Genius, Carl continues to lead the company’s growth and innovation. Under his leadership, Genius has evolved into a thriving software business focused on delivering modern, forward-thinking solutions for its clients.
A key focus for Carl is the integration of Artificial Intelligence into the Genius platform, positioning the company at the forefront of technological advancement within its industry.
Looking ahead, Carl is enthusiastic about the pace of innovation expected over the coming years, describing the next five years as potentially one of the most transformative periods of technological growth in modern history.
For Carl, the future represents opportunity, driven by innovation, ambition, and a constant desire to keep learning and evolving.
Now based in the Austin, Texas area, Carl is personally leading the expansion of Genius into the United States, taking a hands-on approach to establishing the company’s presence and growth across the American market.
Having built and scaled successful businesses throughout his career, Carl sees the USA, and particularly Texas, as a natural next step for the future of Genius. Drawn to the state’s entrepreneurial culture, business-friendly environment, and rapidly growing economy, Carl quickly developed a strong connection with Texas and the opportunities it offers.
“I’m incredibly excited about expanding Genius across the USA, especially in Texas, which is a place I genuinely love. There’s an energy, ambition, and positivity here that perfectly aligns with the vision we have for Genius.”
Carl believes the American training industry is under served when it comes to modern, truly world-class Training Management software. Many providers continue to rely on outdated systems, disconnected platforms, or software that lacks the innovation and flexibility needed by today’s training organizations.
With this in mind, Genius has been strategically developed to provide a comprehensive, scalable, and technology-driven solution designed specifically to meet the evolving demands of modern training providers. From course management and automation to compliance tracking, customer engagement, online learning, and advanced integrations, the platform is built to help organizations operate more efficiently while delivering a better experience for their learners and clients.
Under Carl’s leadership, the company is also investing heavily in the integration of Artificial Intelligence and automation technologies, ensuring Genius remains at the forefront of innovation within the industry.
For Carl, the USA expansion represents far more than business growth, as it is the opportunity to build something significant on an international scale, employ us staff, create long-term partnerships, and establish Genius as a recognized leader in training management technology throughout North America.
Carl has written articles for magazines;.
Training Magazine (TrainingMag.com)
Author Carl Downs
TrainingMag.com - The future of Training with Ai